(3) K-3 Illustrated by Pascal Milelli. After Finn, a young fisher, rescues a magical shape-shifting seal (or selkie), she takes the form of a human girl to join him on land. When a sudden storm comes up, she saves Finn's life but then must return to the sea forever. Dramatic oil paintings, particularly effective in their portrayal of the ocean and the selkie, illustrate the bittersweet, evocative story.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Darlene Gait. From 1885 to 1951 Canada forbade Aboriginal people from holding Potlatches (ceremonies that honored cultural milestones) so some took the practice underground. In this innocent perspective on an act of defiance, a young boy sneaks out of his bedroom and witnesses such an illegal ritual. Gait's large-scale paintings infuse magical realism into the landscape and story. An endnote states that the story is based on Scow's childhood. Glos.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2006

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Anne Wilson. Solomon is devasted when his favorite maple tree is destroyed in a storm. His uncle helps him honor his friend by performing a Tsimshian Indian ritual and carving a mask from the salvaged wood. Sensitive oil paintings on canvas and wood accompany the solemn text. An afterword, with a photo of the actual mask, introduces the Tsimshian master-carver who created it.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Leslie Elizabeth Watts. Upon hearing that the rain is caused by the "Old Man... snoring," Little Girl takes out the ladder and makes a journey to the clouds to give the giant there some old-fashioned cold care. The self-consciously precious text is overwritten, but the well-defined illustrations (showing Little Girl's mixed-race family and the pets that accompany her up the ladder) improve on the whimsical tone.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Janet Wilson. After Ian's parents break up, Ian and his mother leave their farm for the city. Ian feels lonely and homesick, but then he gets to know Mr. Mah, an elderly Chinese man who has also suffered losses. Mr. Mah starts Ian on a garden, and their friendship helps them both make the transition to a new life. The realistic watercolor illustrations for this Canadian story include sensitive portraits of Ian and his older friend.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Janet Wilson. Sarah May secretly longs for a red dress to replace the practical navy blue one her mother has sewn. When the young girl gets caught in a rainstorm that washes away the dark dye, she gets to choose a new bright dye for her dress. In a sentimental frame, the story is told by an elderly Sarah May looking back at her rural childhood. Though occasionally stiff, Wilson's illustrations deliver the setting and action with skill.

Reviewer: Jennifer Polshek